Scotland’s bishops to meet Pope Francis on Thursday

Scotland's bishops will speak to Pope Francis on Thursday September 27 about the scandal of abuse in the global Church as they visit Rome for their Ad Limina pilgrimage.

The Ad Limina visit obliges the bishops of each country to travel to Rome every five years, though longer delays are now common owing to the large number of bishops across the world. The Scottish bishops’ last Ad Limina was in 2010, during which Pope Benedict XVI confirmed he would visit Scotland in 2010.

Scotland’s bishops will be in Rome for a week from Tuesday September 25 – Thursday October 4, and will submit reports on their dioceses to various Vatican dicasteries.

President of the bishops’ conference Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow said he would speak to the Holy Father about abuse in the Church at the meeting.

“I hope to advise the Pope on how the Bishops’ Conference has confronted the issue of abuse over the last five years, how it has been a significant matter for the conference during that time and how the scandal of abuse had affected the morale of Catholics,” he said. “I will point out that we are determined to get it right and to help survivors of abuse and create a safe environment for all within the Church.”

He added: “As we prepare to travel to Rome, I look forward to extending the greetings and affection of the bishops, clergy, Religious and lay faithful of Scotland to the Holy Father. I will also assure him that Catholics in Scotland have always shown fidelity and loyalty to the Holy See, and love to the person of the Holy Father.”

For more on the Ad Limina, see this week’s edition of the SCO, available in parishes from Friday.